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Auction: 25003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 3

The Naval General Service Medal awarded to Private A. Biggs, Royal Marines, admitted to the Foundling Hospital at Coram's Fields at just nine weeks old

Later, having served his country at sea, he was latterly convicted for theft and sentenced to be transported to Australia

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Copenhagen 1801, St. Domingo (Abraham Biggs.), traces of brooch-mounting to obverse, contact marks over naming, nearly very fine

Provenance:
Sotheby's, June 1990.

Abraham Biggs was born at Northaw, Hertfordshire circa 1782, being baptised at the Foundling Hospital, London in October 1782. He had been taken in as a nine week old by the Foundling as No. 17806.

Like so many, having come of age he then joined up and served as a Private in the Royal Marines. It was to be a life at sea which saw Biggs see plenty of action. Firstly aboard Defiance at Copenhagen, 2 April 1801. She served as the Flagship of Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves, with Captain Retallick in command. She found herself besides the Crown battery, which had thirty-six heavy guns, which poured fire into her for most of the afternoon. Having been set alight on a number of occasions during the battle and exposed for the entirety, the ship was severely damaged and ran aground shortly after the ceasefire. Defiance proved her namesake and suffered 24 killed in action and a further 51 wounded.

Removed to Superb, Biggs was present for the action at St. Domingo, when his vessel was Flagship of Admiral John Thomas Duckworth. During this action, Superb began by firing upon Alexandre and later shared in the destruction of Impérial with Northumberland. Such was the heat of their attack, that a number of shots from Northumberland passed through Impérial and struck Superb. Her crew were able to count up to 60 shot holes by the close of play.

Biggs latterly found work as a coachman but was taken into custody on 4 March 1826 for the theft of a purse and £20-10-0 from Mr Andrew Gregory Johnston in Kensington Square, London. Tried on 8 April, he was found guilty and sentenced to being transported to Australia for 7 years. Thankfully, following the appeals of many who knew him, and Johnston, he was held aboard the hulk Retribution at Sheerness until June 1830 when he was pardoned.


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Estimate
£1,600 to £2,000

Starting price
£1500